Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is one of my most very favorite days of the year!
I love the anticipation of Christmas day.
We started the day off by going to Jason, Julie, Jude and Ian's house.
We had a yummy breakfast and then the kids opened their presents.
It was hard getting Brinkley to stop playing with Jude's toys to open gifts.
Why open gifts when there is already stuff to play with, right?
What a funny kid.

In the afternoon, we headed to the Barn.
Oh, how I love the barn.
And do you know what makes me so happy? That my kids love the barn as much as I do. The whole rest of our trip, Brinkley kept asking to go play in the barn.
"Barn, pweaaaassse?"
I can't tell you the joy that brings to my heart.
The barn is just so full of memories and tradition.
I love the Beazer family. I love the food we eat there. I love everything about it.
I will admit, it was tough going in there. It was my first time since my Gramps died over a year ago. And weird enough, the thing that made me cry was seeing his chair at the head of the table.
I missed him a lot. But we still had a great time.
My aunt Sandi, who always thinks of the best gifts in the world, made her mom, sisters and brother quilts made from Gramp's old clothes. Another interesting tidbit, Brinkley climbed right in the box with the blanket and cuddled right into it. She wanted to cuddle in that beautiful warm blanket all the time (when she wasn't running around like a little crazy person, that is).

Brinkley loves Santa Clause. She was still hesitant to sit on his lap, but she did it.
While we were in Utah, my mom would usually put Brinkley to bed (love it).
She read her "The Night Before Christmas" one night, and then they had to read it every single night. Even after Christmas.
She had the book memorized. She knows that Santa has a nose like a... 'cherry'
and a bowl full of... 'jelly'
So, in that light,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good... 'night'